Cornerback Brandon Browner and wide receiver Brian Tyms are back on the Patriots’ roster.
The club removed roster exemptions for Browner and Tyms on Monday, the team said. Both players now count against the Patriots’ roster limit.
The 30-year-old Browner adds to the Patriots’ options at cornerback. The 6-foot-4, 221-pound Browner started 36 games in the previous three seasons for Seattle, intercepting 10 passes. He served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy to begin the season.
Tyms, 25, served a four-game suspension under the NFL’s PED polcy. A second-year pro from Florida A&M, Tyms appeared in seven games for the Browns a season ago, catching two passes. Tyms (6-3, 204) figures as a reserve for New England (3-2).
To clear roster spots for Browner and Tyms, the Patriots placed defensive lineman Michael Buchanan on injured reserve and waived defensive lineman Joe Vellano.
Vellano started eight games as a rookie in 2013, notching 54 tackles for New England. He also started the 2014 opener vs. Miami before moving into a reserve role.